The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 06, 1998
Filed:
Apr. 29, 1996
Wilbur W Eaton, Jr, Placentia, CA (US);
James W Casalegno, Fullerton, CA (US);
Kirk Kohnen, Fullerton, CA (US);
Eric K Slater, Long Beach, CA (US);
Hughes Aircraft Company, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Abstract
Self leveling apparatus that includes a frame, a device that is to be leveled, and a leveling mechanism such as a double ring gimbal having an inner gimbal ring and an outer gimbal ring. The outer gimbal ring is secured to the frame and the inner gimbal ring is secured to the device and to the outer ring. The inner ring comprises a viscous or preloaded bearing that allows the device to swing around an inner ring axle to thereby level itself in that axis and prevent spurious movement of the device. The outer gimbal ring and inner gimbal ring are attached by outer axles that comprise a viscous or preloaded bearing that allow the inner gimbal ring to swing around the outer axles thereby level the inner gimbal ring in that axis and prevent spurious movement of the device. A disclosed embodiment of the invention includes a magnetometer sensor that is coupled to signal processing and telemetry electronics and a power source that are leveled to keep axes of the sensor oriented along horizontal and vertical axes.